1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to a process for processing the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member and a process for producing an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Description of the Related Art
With respect to an electrophotographic photosensitive member containing an organic photoconductive substance (charge generating substance), there is a technique for compounding a curable resin in the surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member for the purpose of increasing the durability (wear resistance and the like) of the electrophotographic photosensitive member.
However, due to an increase in the wear resistance of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, the cleaning performance is likely to be influenced and image flow is likely to occur. The influence on the cleaning performance includes problems, such as an increase in drive torque caused by an increase in the frictional force of the surface with high wear resistant of the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a cleaning blade, slipping of a toner due to minute vibration of the cleaning blade, and reversal of the cleaning blade. The image flow is a problem caused by a degradation of materials for use in the surface layer of the electrophotographic photosensitive member due to acidic gas, such as ozone and nitrogen oxide, produced by charging the electrophotographic photosensitive member and a reduction in the surface resistance of the electrophotographic photosensitive member caused by the formation of nitric acid from a part of acidic gas due to adsorption of moisture.
As techniques for solving the problems, Japanese Patent No. 3938209 discloses a technique for suppressing the image flow under a high temperature and high humidity environment by providing a plurality of concave portions in the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member with a high area ratio. However, in the technique for forming the concave portions described in Japanese Patent No. 3938209, the suppression of image flow under a high temperature and high humidity environment is insufficient, and thus the uneven structure needs to be finely controlled. Then, in order to further suppress image flow, there is a technique for transferring an uneven structure of a molding member onto the surface of an electrophotographic photosensitive member to thereby more finely control the uneven structure. Japanese Patent No. 4059518 discloses a technique for controlling the temperatures of a molding member and a support of an electrophotographic photosensitive member when transferring the uneven structure of the molding member onto the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member to thereby increase the shape reproducibility and further suppress image flow and further improve the cleaning performance.
However, the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent No. 4059518 has a problem such that the electrophotographic characteristics decrease by the concave portions formed on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and therefore has room for improvement. As a result of an examination of the present inventors, it has been clarified that the reduction in the electrophotographic characteristics is likely to cause a reduction in the thin line reproducibility of high-resolution images.